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The Latinx of Us, In Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos (Harper, $16.95) are sometimes misunderstood, occasionally threatened, often quick-witted, and always engaging. Tweens and teens with disparate countries of origin but the same home country—the United States—come alive in each well-crafted story, all of which were inspired by real events. Refranes, commonly used Latin American sayings, appear throughout the text and are presented with their English translations in the book’s final pages along with notes on the stories’ origins. Author/illustrator Lulu Delacre’s mixed-media portraits of each character further highlight the multiplicity of viewpoints contained in this powerful volume. Ages 11-13.

Self-discovery can be a struggle and spark deep emotions. How do you make sense of it all? Twelve-year-old Malu uses zines and music to stay connected with her parents while also learning to embrace her individuality in The First Rule of Punk (Viking, $16.99) by Celia C. Pérez.

When 11 slaveholding states formed the Confederacy in 1861, abolitionists declared that United States laws no longer applied in secessionist lands. This included the Fugitive Slave Law, which required that escaped slaves be returned to their owners. Calico Girl (Simon & Schuster, $16.99) follows twelve-year-old Callie and her family, who flee to a Union Army outpost in Virginia that harbors and educates refugee slaves in defiance of the Confederacy’s continued enforcement of the law. Their sudden independence brings hope and opportunity, but also poses unexpected challenges. Based on true accounts, Jerdine Nolen’s nuanced depiction of the community of Fortress Monroe during the Civil War highlights the power of education and self-determination. Ages 8-12.